ACO Marine Welcomes Wastewater Pollution Report

Calling for Cruise Technology Upgrade

ACO Marine press release 18th July 2016

Press release

ACO Marine has welcomed the findings reported in the Friends of the Earth 2016 Cruise Ship Report Card, the annual survey of cruise shipping’s impact on the environment,which highlights a growing need for the sector to update its sewage treatment technology.

The annual FOE survey, published in June, documented the environmental footprint of 17 cruise lines and 171 cruise ships, finding that a significant proportion of vessels continue to operate out-dated sewage treatment plant.

The FOE found that 40% of cruiseships continue to use 35-year-old technology, calling for an urgent upgrade to systems capable of preventing environmental damage from the discharge of poorly treated black, grey and galley wastewater streams.

“The FOE report paints a contrasting picture to the environmentally conscientious one offered by the cruise lines themselves,” said Mark Beavis, Managing Director of ACO Marine. “That 40% of cruiseships are still using wastewater treatment technology developed in the 1980s suggests that some of these cruiseships are unable to meet current regulatory requirements. Certainly some of these vessels will be incapable of meeting the more stringent requirements set out in MEPC.227 (64), which limits the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen discharged in treated effluent.”

Beavis added: “With an increasing trend for expedition-type cruising in ecologically sensitive areas, it is paramount to environmental conservation that the cruise sector adopts wastewater technology capable of helping to prevent the nitrification of our seas.”

While Friends of the Earth continues to push the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to update its sewage treatment standards under the Clean Water Act, the environmental campaigner noted that an average cruiseship with 3,000 passengers and crew producesabout 21,000 gallons of sewage and about 150,000 gallons of grey water each day.

Marcie Keever, oceans and vessels program director for Friends of the Earth, stated in a June press release: “With the Northwest Passage now open in the summer due toclimate change, the cruise industry’s expanding itineraries will bring increasingly damaging pollution to even more sensitive areas like the Arctic. It’s way past time to set a higher bar for this industry.”

Of the 17 cruise lines FOE assessed for the 2016 report, seven were ‘A’ graded according to four environmental criteria: sewage treatment, air pollution reduction, waterquality compliance and transparency. Seven were given grades ranging from C- to F.

ACO Marine s.r.o. · Nadrazni 72 · 150 00 Prague · www.acomarine.com

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ACO Marine press release

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ACO Marine contact:

Mark BeavisManaging DirectorACO Marine(t) +44 7738 274 576(e) mbeavis@acomarine.com

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ACO Marine Managing Director Mark Beavis: “The FOE report paints a contrasting picture to the environmentally conscientious one offered by the cruise lines themselves”

Press Pack SMM 2014 · Hall A1, Stand 405ACO Marine s.r.o. · Nadrazni 72 · 150 00 Prague · www.acomarine.com

About ACO Marine:

Established fifteen years ago, ACO Marine is a member of the international German headquartered ACO Group and a leading supplier of advanced wastewater treatment systems to the global commercial, naval, offshore and leisure marine sectors with a salesand service network world-wide. Its unique environmen-tal solutions are used primarily in wastewater technolo-gy, wastewater management and drainage systems. The wide range of products includes advanced membrane bioreactor systems, conventional extended aeration with

‘bio-sword’ filtration sewage treatment plants, push-fit pipe systems in both stainless and galvanised steel and fully automated high capacity grease separators. ACOMarine develops in-house solutions from its ISO 9001 accredited production facilities, all of which are located entirely within the EU.

The report can be viewed in full at:http://www.foe.org/cruise-report-card